But the weekend was about more than just wins and losses. After Freddy Knapp of Kushner Academy defeated Zac Welgrin of Yeshiva University High School for Boys in a tough match, the two were seen sharing a laugh. “This has been a lot of fun,” said Welgrin. “Despite the competitive atmosphere, we’ve all been able to get along and make some new friends over the weekend.”

In addition to first-rate wrestling competition, the long weekend included a Shabbaton complete with communal meals and inspirational lectures from special guests, including Yuri Foreman, a former World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight champion studying to be an Orthodox rabbi, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who made a surprise appearance and shared a dvar Torah with the athletes.

“Shabbat was amazing,” said Nattan Pittinsky, a wrestler for Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy. “The highlight of Shabbat was Mayor Booker speaking. He expressed a tremendous amount of Torah knowledge. It was also really nice getting to meet other students with a similar passion for wrestling.”

The annual event is named for Henry Wittenberg, a former Yeshiva University wrestling coach and legendary Olympic medalist who founded Yeshiva’s wrestling program in 1955. Wittenberg passed away in 2010 at the age of 91.